


Possibilities and Impossibilities

by tayyyisgayyy



Category: My Little Pony: Equestria Girls, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, F/M, fluttercord au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-14 03:07:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28538577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tayyyisgayyy/pseuds/tayyyisgayyy
Summary: Principal Celestia asks Fluttershy to tutor an eccentric new student. Nobody could have guessed what would come of it. | Equestria Girls Fluttercord AU
Relationships: Discord/Fluttershy (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> to start this off im gonna say:
> 
> full credit for this au goes to cometcrystal on tumblr!!!!! the main plot and ideas for this story came from her headcanons and i loved them so much i wanted to write a full fledged story based on em :)))
> 
> on another note i don't really keep up with eqg? ive watched all the movies and those hour-long specials but i haven't watched most of the shorts so if i write something that conflicts with eqg canon then i apologize, but i don't think it'll be too big of a deal, its already an au anyway
> 
> also i cannot remember for the life of me if eqg has like. seasons? i don't remember if there was a time where there was snow or cold or anything so for the purposes of this story i am just gonna establish that Weather Doesn't Exist and It Is Always Like 60 Degrees Fahrenheit 
> 
> anyways ive spent a bunch of time thinking abt + planning this story out so hopefully its good etc etc
> 
> lets get into it!!!!!!

The band room was filled with the sounds of instruments tuning and testing, and light chatter as The Rainbooms were setting up for practice. Well, The Rainbooms minus one member.

"Hey, did you guys hear what the new kid did?" Rainbow Dash asked while tuning her guitar.

"Yeah, the one that transferred in a couple months ago?" Sunset Shimmer piped up as she plugged in and tested the microphones. "Didn't he get detention for being on his phone in class?"

Rainbow nodded. "I heard from someone that he straight-up ignored the teacher when she tried to take it from him. Apparently, it's not the first time, either."

"Yeah. He seems pretty... interesting." Applejack said, making sure her bass amp was plugged in and functional. "I have English with him, he's kinda obnoxious."

"I dunno, he looks kinda fun!" Pinkie exclaimed, sitting down at her drum set. "I have math with him, he was making these cool origami... things. I couldn't tell what they were supposed to be, but they looked pretty cool!"

Rarity looked up from scrolling on her phone to speak. "I'm not one to judge a book by its cover, but his fashion sense..." She shuddered. "Besides, he's been here for almost two months and I don't think he's made any friends. It doesn't seem like he fits in here."

Just then, the doors burst open and Fluttershy came running in.

"I'm so sorry I'm late!" She sat down to catch her breath, taking her tambourine out of her backpack. "I had a test last period but I couldn't finish in time, so I had to stay for a bit after class."

"How do you think you did?" Twilight asked.

"I think I did okay. It was just stressful."

Everyone nodded in agreement and sympathy.

"Are you ready to start, Flutters? Or do you need to catch your breath first?" asked Rainbow.

"I think I'm okay to start." She stood up and everyone took their places. 

\----------------

Just as they finished their last song, the doors opened once again as Principal Celestia walked into the room.

"I'm so sorry to intrude, but once you all are done practicing, I'd like to see Fluttershy in my office."

Fluttershy's stomach dropped. Principal Celestia stepped out.

"What do you think that's about?" Sunset asked. Fluttershy shook her head.

"I have no idea, but I hope I'm not in trouble."

Applejack touched her back reassuringly. "Relax, sugarcube. If you haven't done anything to be in trouble for, you're not in trouble. We'll take care of the straightening up, you go ahead and go to her office.

Fluttershy thanked everybody on her way out. Applejack's words reassured her, but the sinking feeling of something going wrong still remained. As she approached Principal Celestia's office she saw somebody sitting outside it, someone she had seen around but hadn't paid much mind to. She didn't pay much mind to this person at that moment either; she was just focused on getting this over with. 

She stepped into Principal Celestia's office and shut the door behind her with a shaky hand.

"It's okay, Fluttershy. You're not in trouble."

Fluttershy exhaled.

"I'm not sure if you know one of our new students, Discord? He's sitting just outside."

"Oh. Um, I've heard about him and I've seen him in the halls, but we've never talked."

Principal Celestia nodded. "Fluttershy, you're one of the kindest students here at CHS, and on top of that, a very bright student. Discord's grades and overall performance in school have been... subpar, but I have faith in him and believe that he has a lot of potential, he might just need a little extra help. Would you be comfortable tutoring him? I believe that you can help him to do his best work and excel."

Fluttershy blinked. She'd heard things about him, of course, but who was she to judge somebody based on stories and rumors? She nodded firmly.

"I will."

Principal Celestia smiled. "Thank you, Fluttershy." She walked past her and opened her office door, the two of them stepping outside. Discord stood up, and for the first time, Fluttershy got a look at him.

His hair was black and messy, wavy and long enough to cover parts of his ears and his forehead. He wore a large gray sweater and a long skirt with a gray and navy blue checkerboard pattern. He wore mismatched socks and mismatched shoes. He wore multiple rings on each hand, and was wearing an assortment of necklaces, one of which was... were those real teeth?

"Discord, this is Fluttershy. I've asked her to tutor you, for the reasons you and I have discussed. I will leave the two of you to talk." Principal Celestia walked back into her office, closing the door behind her. Discord sat back down, looking at his phone.

"Um, hello."

Discord didn't respond. 

"So... are you free for tutoring today?"

"Technically, I'm in detention right now," he said, still looking at his phone.

"Oh. Um, I'm sorry."

No response.

"Would you be okay with meeting after school tomorrow? The computer lab is always unlocked, we could meet in there."

Discord shrugged, still looking down. "Sure."

"Okay. Um, see you then?"

Discord gave a small nod.

The next day, Fluttershy looked out for Discord in the halls and at lunch. He walked to class nonchalantly, like he didn't care if he was late, and she guessed that his attendance marks reflected that. He had an aura around him that said he knew that everyone was saying things about him, but he didn't care. Fluttershy was envious of him in that regard. What she wasn't envious of, however, was the fact that he always seemed to be alone.

"Principal Celestia thinks he has potential, and I always believe that anyone can thrive once they're shown a little kindness," she said during lunch when her friends were questioning her as to why she agreed to tutor him. She believed it, but as she stood outside the computer lab she had to remind herself of it. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Hi, Discord." 

He sat in front of a computer, facing away from the door and her. He turned to her and gave her a halfhearted wave. She crossed the room to sit next to him. 

"So, um, how's it going?"

He shrugged. "Okay."

There was a moment of silence before Fluttershy spoke up again.

"Um, so, what's going on? With your grades, I mean."

Discord stiffened.

"I just don't like school."

"Well, um, I feel like that sometimes too, but school can be a great opportunity to learn and-"

"School is too hard and I honestly don't see the point. I also don't see why Celestia asked you to tutor me." He picked up his bag, a messenger bag made up of different colors and textures of fabric stitched together, and stood up to leave. He was halfway to the door when Fluttershy also stood up.

"Wait!"

He turned back around to look at her. She approached him. 

"I know this is really uncomfortable, so if you want, you could help me volunteer at the animal shelter tomorrow after school, maybe. It'd be a good way to get to know each other."

She thought she saw a twinge of a smile on Discord's face. "Yeah, sure." 

She smiled herself. "Great! I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Discord nodded and left the computer lab, leaving Fluttershy standing there, anxious. She didn't want to let Principal Celestia down, and a part of her didn't want to let Discord down, either. Even if she barely knew him, she thought that everyone deserved what they needed to do well. And a friend. She sighed.

She had her work cut out for her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi im so sorry i havent updated Anything in a bit i just had a rlly crazy week but Here I Am and im gonna get my momentum back (or at least try to)
> 
> n e ways im rlly excited about this story so im gonna b updating it a lot more frequently lol

Fluttershy was unable to give the animals her undivided attention. She was sitting on the floor in the middle of the room, and kept looking away from the animals surrounding her to watch the door in anticipation of Discord's arrival. It was already 20 minutes after school ended and he hadn't shown up yet, despite the shelter only being a 5 minute walk from school. She didn't doubt that he would blow her off, but she found herself really wishing he wouldn't.

The puppy in her lap, as well as the multiple dogs around her on the floor and in cages, began to bark as the door swung open and Discord stepped inside. He gave Fluttershy a look of acknowledgment, walking towards her and setting his bag down on the floor against the wall.

"Sorry I'm late," he said as he sat down on the floor across from Fluttershy. Multiple dogs ran forward to inspect this new volunteer. Discord stuck his hands out to let the dogs smell him, and began to pet them.

"Wow, they warmed up to you really quickly!"

Discord nodded, looking down at the dogs. "Animals seem to really like me for some reason." He smiled as a dog licked his hand. It was the first time Fluttershy had seen him genuinely smile, and it fit him well. 

"I'm gonna let the cats out to play too, would you like to help me?" Discord nodded. They both went around the room opening the cats' cages. Most of them curiously gathered around Discord, who kept them occupied with pets and toys. As Fluttershy was filling up food bowls, Discord kept glancing at her, debating whether or not he should speak. He finally decided that he should.

"Have you ever met a platypus?" Fluttershy looked up at him and shook her head. "Me neither. I really like 'em, though. They don't have stomachs or nipples, which is weird." He paused, grabbing a cloth mouse and throwing it for some of the cats to fetch. "If I had to pick a favorite animal, it'd probably be a platypus. That, or one of those wacky-looking deep sea creatures, but I don't know enough about them to pick a favorite."

Fluttershy smiled. "I really like them, too. I'd love to meet one someday. My favorite animal would probably be a bunny, though."

"Respectable choice," Discord said, and the two gave each other genuine, albeit awkward, smiles.

Once the pets were well-played with and well-fed, Fluttershy and Discord sat at a small table in the back of the shelter. Fluttershy was nervous to ask given DIscord's reaction yesterday, but she knew she'd have to bring it up eventually.

"So, um, I'm sorry about yesterday, I know I shouldn't have been so..." she sighed. She couldn't think of the word and carried on, hoping she knew what he meant. "Principal Celestia told me about your grades and stuff, but I know grades don't really reflect anything, so I wanted to talk to you to hear what's going on and how you feel about school and stuff." She looked at him nervously for his reaction, but thankfully he didn't look angry. 

"I mean, there's not really much to say. Paying attention in class is hard, and paying attention to homework is even harder, so I just... don't."

Fluttershy nodded. "I get that. Over the years I've kinda had to find out what works best for me."

"I've never really cared enough to do that."

"Do you think we could go through each class one by one and talk about what's hard about it and how we can make it a little bit better?" Discord hesitated, but eventually nodded. "What do you have first period?"

"English."

"If you don't mind me asking, what's your grade in English?"

He sighed. "I have a D, so I'm not completely failing, but the homework is pretty much impossible. I only have a D because I do well on tests."

"Why is the homework so hard?"

"A lot of it is reading and then answering questions about it. The questions are fine, I just can't do the reading. I always just end up getting distracted and can't do it."

Fluttershy thought for a moment. "Do you think you could try right now, with me here to keep you on track if you get distracted?"

Discord shrugged. "I guess..." 

He pulled a thick textbook out of his bag and turned the pages until he found the section he was looking for. 

"So I'm just reading it?" 

Fluttershy nodded.

Discord looked down at the page and Fluttershy looked around the room, bored but not wanting to distract him by doing anything. After a few minutes, he spoke.

"It's been, like, 5 minutes, and I haven't gotten past the third sentence."

Fluttershy thought for another moment. 

"Here, can we try something else?"

Discord was even more hesitant to try this time, but he nodded anyway. Fluttershy took the book and moved it in between both of them, scooting her chair a little closer to his. Their arms touched for a split second, both of them pulling away nervously.

"If I read it, do you think you could follow along?"

Discord looked at her skeptically, but nodded and looked down at the page. She read it as he followed along, and when she was done, she turned to him.

"Did that help?"

"Yeah, actually."

Fluttershy smiled. "Good! Now, are there questions?"

"Yeah." Discord pulled a loose sheet of paper and a pencil out of his bag. Fluttershy peeked inside his bag to see that it was full of nothing but books and loose papers with the occasional marble, button, rock, or other miscellaneous found item, and a laptop. Fluttershy was willing to bet that he came late today because he was adding something else to his collection. 

Fluttershy watched as Discord wrote the answers to the comprehension questions. She didn't mean to spy, but she couldn't help herself from reading his answers, and they were brilliant. His mind made connections that most people wouldn't have even thought about, including herself. He wrote short yet specific and concise answers for each question, and was done in only a few minutes. 

"Done."

"Good job!"

He stuffed the finished paper and the textbook in his bag.

"Do you, um, have a folder?"

"I never really bothered to get one. It's fine, though."

Fluttershy winced inwardly at all of the wrinkles and tears in his papers. "So what do you have after English?"

"World history," Discord sighed.

"How are you doing in that class?"

"I'm failing. It's the same deal as English because I need to do a bunch of readings and take notes on them, but the tests are all based on the readings that I didn't do, and there's no way I can sit through a lecture. Plus, I never even got the textbook, I just use a PDF." 

"Well, for the readings, a lot of the time the teacher just goes over what the reading was about in class. You said that what we did for English helped, so you can copy and paste the reading you need to do from the PDF into a text-to-speech website. Does your teacher write notes on the board during a lecture?"

"Yeah?"

Fluttershy reached into her bag and pulled out a fidget cube.

"Here, this helps me pay attention in lectures, but really all you need to do is just write down everything the teacher writes down so you have notes for the test. It's just nice to have something to play with so you're not bored out of your mind."

Discord looked at her with wide eyes, surprised at the act of genuine kindness.

"Um, are you sure?"

"Oh, totally! I have a few more at home."

He blinked. "Thank you."

"Of course! It might not work for you and that's okay, it's just what works for me so I figured you could try it. Oh! And for English, if you ever need the audio for a book, I have a subscription to this audiobook service, and I can give you my username and password whenever you need it."

He blinked again, looking down at the fidget cube and then back at her. "Thank you."

Fluttershy smiled. "So, what's after history?"

"Creative writing. I have a C, but only because I don't turn my writings in on time. I do them, though." He rustled through his bag to find a few papers stapled together haphazardly and presented it to Fluttershy.

"Um, can I read this?"

Discord shrugged. "If you want."

Fluttershy read his story. It was short but impactful, with layers and hidden meanings and a million more things that she had probably missed. 

"Wow, Discord!" He was startled by her sudden exclamation. She turned to look at him. "This is really, really good!"

He smiled. "Thanks."

Fluttershy understood why Principal Celestia wanted her to tutor him. She now saw the brightness and potential in him that just needs to be tapped into and released into the world. She knew she'd start enjoying their tutoring sessions a lot more, and maybe even foster a friendship with Discord. That is, if he wanted to. 

"Oh, goodness! I'm so sorry, but I lost track of the time!" Fluttershy picked up her backpack and stood up, Discord putting his papers back in his bag and following suit. The two walked outside the shelter, Fluttershy locking the doors behind them.

"Thank you so much for volunteering here with me today! I think we're off to a really good start. Do you wanna meet here again tomorrow?"

Discord nodded. He was holding the fidget cube, rotating it in his hand. 

"Um..."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you, Fluttershy." 

"No problem. See you tomorrow!"

The two waved goodbye and went their separate ways. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi sorry if this chapter was kinda boring lol it was also like 90% me projecting..... but hopefully it was okay


	3. Chapter 3

It had been a week since their first successful tutoring session, and Fluttershy was extremely proud of the progress that they had made, both academically and in terms of their friendship. Well, acquaintanceship. Good acquaintanceship. He had waved at her in the hall once. She could feel him starting to let his guard down, especially around the animals. 

Five school days after their first time at the shelter, Discord arrived late again, throwing his bag against the wall and distractedly sitting across from Fluttershy, focusing on what was in his hand.

"Sorry I'm late. I found a marble."

"Can I see?"

Discord passed the marble to Fluttershy, their hands touching for a moment before she brought it up to her face to inspect it.

"Hey, it matches your eyes!" Discord pointed at the teal marble in front of Fluttershy's face. She giggled.

"Yeah, it does!" She handed the marble back to him, taking a second to look into his eyes as she did so. She gasped.

"Woah, your eyes-"

"Yeah, I know. They're the coolest thing about me."

His left eye was half brown and half blue, and his right was all green.

"They're really nice." 

Once all of the animals were sufficiently fed and played with, the two took their usual seats at their tutoring table.

"So, I have English homework-"

"Actually, Discord, I was wondering about your other classes? Besides English and history?"

Discord sighed. "I was afraid you were gonna ask about those."

"What's wrong?"

"My other classes are trig, which I failed last year, pre-calc which I'm failing now, and chemistry which loses its charm if you're not in the lab blowing stuff up or lighting fires."

Fluttershy chuckled. "I'm guessing you've been kicked out of chemistry a lot?"

"Yeah. And set off the fire alarm once."

"That was you?"

Discord nodded, pulling a textbook out of his bag.

"I have a trig test tomorrow, and I don't know anything except what chapter we're on." He opened the book, turning the pages until he reached the chapter he was looking for and pointed at the title. She scooted her chair closer to him to read the page. "I kinda understand the concept, I think, but it's a lot to memorize."

"Oh, there's actually a mnemonic for this one!" She pulled a piece of paper out of her bag and wrote on it. Discord looked at it and squinted. 

"Soh... cah... toa?"

"Mhm!"

"Oh, like Krakatoa." 

Fluttershy laughed, looking at Discord and smiling. "Exactly."

The two pored over triangles and equations until Fluttershy started to see a look of understanding on Discord's face. They also covered the latter two classes that he had mentioned until the sun was starting to set outside. 

"Do you think you'll be okay for your test tomorrow?" Fluttershy asked as Discord put his papers back into his bag. 

"Yeah, thank you."

"Of course! We've only gone over six classes so far, what's your last?"

"Drawing and painting. I actually have an A because the teacher's really chill. Plus, I like it."

"Oh, fun! Can I see some of your stuff?"

Discord pulled some papers out of his bag and laid them out on the table. They were all abstract, but at the same time, completely unique, from anything she had seen and from each other. They looked like what you would see if you shifted to another dimension.

"Wow, Discord, these look really cool! I'm very impressed."

"Thanks." He put them back into his bag.

"Oh! I almost forgot." Fluttershy pulled a folder out of her bag. It was translucent and pastel green, with butterfly and cat stickers on it. "For your papers and stuff."

Discord's face lit up as he took it, admiring the stickers. "Thank you! I'll put some stuff in it when I get home." He turned and put the folder in his bag.

"Um..." Discord met Fluttershy's gaze. "I'm really glad Celestia asked me to tutor you. I think you're really funny and creative, and I like spending time with you. Do you think we could be friends?"

Discord smiled and nodded. "Cool beans," he said, which made Fluttershy snort.

They exited the shelter, turning to part ways for the night until Fluttershy spoke.

"Oh, and Discord?"

"Yeah?"

"Your eyes aren't the coolest thing about you. They're pretty cool, but not cooler than you as a whole."

They smiled and went their separate ways. 

* * *

"Fluttershy!"

Fluttershy looked up from her lunch and stood up in surprise at the sound of her name and fast footsteps echoing throughout the cafeteria. She saw Discord running toward her, a paper in hand, which he held up for her to see when he was close enough to her.

"I got a C on the math test!"

"Oh, that's great Discord!"

He gave her a sudden hug, the action surprising yet welcome to both of them. He pulled away and they both laughed.

"Okay, bye!" 

He ran out just as suddenly as he ran in. Fluttershy sat back down, looking at all of her friends' faces. They were holding back laughter.

"Come on guys, he's not that bad!"

Rainbow Dash was the first to let out her snickers, with the rest following. 

"We're sorry, Fluttershy," Sunset piped up, "he's just..."

"He's really nice and cool once you get to know him, which I want you all to try to do. How about we invite him to the sleepover this weekend? Pinkie, is that okay with you since you're hosting?"

They all looked wary, but eventually agreed. 

"Thank you. I promise it'll be worth it."

Although Fluttershy was nervous about actually convincing Discord to come, she was pretty excited that her friends would get to know her newest friend. She was also excited about seeing Discord outside of tutoring, and she had no problem admitting that to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)))


	4. Chapter 4

"So, Discord... what kind of things are you into?" 

Discord was looking down at his hands, fidgeting with the fidget cube Fluttershy gave him. Everyone was sitting on the floor of Pinkie's bedroom, Fluttershy sitting next to him and everyone else on the other side of the room. He glanced up at Sunset, who had asked him a question, only to look back down at his hands and shrug.

"I dunno."

There was a beat. Fluttershy and Discord heard a noise from the other side of the room and looked up to see Rainbow Dash with her head turned, laughing. Discord stood up and left the room. Fluttershy heard his footsteps going downstairs. 

"Rainbow!" Fluttershy snapped.

"What? I laugh when I'm... nervous!"

Fluttershy stood up. "I know this is uncomfortable, and I'm sorry, but I'd really expect you all to be more welcoming and get rid of your snap judgments about him!"

"To be fair, Fluttershy, he's not giving us much to work with," said Twilight.

"I know, and I'm gonna go talk to him, but I expect more from you all. Think of things to talk about, and I'll be back." As Fluttershy closed the door behind her and headed down the stairs, a voice in the back of her mind was telling her that it really wasn't her friends' fault, it really wasn't anyone's fault, but she was so overwhelmed by an emotion she couldn't place that she pushed that voice aside. She had no idea why, but she really wanted this to work.

Once she reached the bottom of the stairs she heard voices outside. She looked through the open door to see Discord sitting on Pinkie's front steps with Maud. He was showing her a rock.

"I found it on the way here. Know what it is?"

Maud nodded. "Quartzite."

"Nice."

He put the rock back into the pocket of his pajama pants and resumed playing with the fidget cube. Discord and Maud sat there in silence for a few seconds until Fluttershy cleared her throat and alerted them both to her presence. 

"Sorry. Um, Maud, do you think you could give us a second?"

Maud nodded, standing up and heading upstairs. Fluttershy took her seat next to Discord. Neither of them said anything. After a minute, Discord stood up to leave, and Fluttershy stood up in tow, looking at him pleadingly. They held that eye contact until Rainbow Dash interrupted them.

"Uh, Discord? We're setting up some games upstairs, do you wanna join us?"

Discord looked at Fluttershy one last time then nodded, heading back inside. They all went upstairs, and despite everything, had a good time.

At some point during the night, after they had all bonded and went to sleep, Fluttershy woke up. She turned to see that the sleeping bag next to her was empty. She slowly and quietly slipped out of hers, tiptoeing downstairs to the kitchen where a dim light was on. 

Discord sat at the table eating a bag of chips. He smiled and waved when he saw Fluttershy, and she returned the gesture.

"I got hungry. These are mine, don't worry. I didn't steal 'em." Fluttershy sat next to him. He tilted the open side of the bag towards her and she took a chip.

"Thank you for coming today."

"Thanks for inviting me. I didn't expect to like your friends this much."

Fluttershy smiled. "I knew you'd all get along. All my friends are pretty cool."

* * *

That Monday, Discord sat with their group at lunch (upon Fluttershy's request). Nobody except her would admit it, but the table was a lot more lively with him around, especially since he'd grown a lot more comfortable with them. Halfway through the period, Fluttershy noticed something.

"Discord, do you have lunch?"

He shook his head. "I don't really eat lunch. I never have the energy to pack one at night."

Fluttershy reached into her lunchbox and took out a package of fruit snacks and a small bag of chips. She placed it in front of Discord. He opened his mouth in protest, but one raised eyebrow from her caused him to roll his eyes and start eating. Fluttershy smiled smugly as the rest of her friends wondered how in the world she managed to almost brainwash him, someone who seemed to everyone else to be pure chaos.

After school, Fluttershy found Discord sitting by the horse statue in front of the school. She sat down across from him, wanting to have their tutoring session outdoors.

"Okay, so today I think we could work on math, and then-"

"Flutters, no offense, but I really don't feel like doing tutoring today."

Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief. "Honestly, I'm glad you said that. I'm pretty tired."

Discord leapt up. "Follow me."

Fluttershy stood and followed him a little ways off of school grounds to a small, quiet patch of grass she had never seen before. There were tall plants and trees that acted as a circular wall, and in the middle sat a large boulder, which Discord hopped up and sat on.

"I found this place a bit ago. It was good for when things got too loud or overwhelming, so I kept it to myself, but I wanted to show you." He hopped off of the boulder and laid on the grass. "Plus, it's a good nap spot."

Fluttershy giggled, laying next to Discord on the grass. It was very comfortable.

"I like to just lay here and watch the clouds. It's really calming."

After a few moments of silence, Discord's hand found Fluttershy's. As he held her hand, and she held his, he pointed up to the sky. 

"That cloud looks like an elephant on a plate."

Fluttershy laughed, pointing up at a cloud of her own. "That one looks like a snail with wheels."

"That one looks like a bouquet of pacifiers."

After watching the clouds for what seemed like 5 minutes and 5 years simultaneously, the gradual change in hue of the sky reminded Fluttershy that the Rainbooms were supposed to practice that evening. When she realized this, she jumped up with a start, regrettably having to let go of Discord's hand. 

"Shoot! I'm late for band practice, I'm so sorry!"

Discord sat up and faced her. "It's okay. See you tomorrow?"

Fluttershy grinned. "See you tomorrow!" She ran out of the small clearing and back to school, opening the auditorium doors that the janitor regularly unlocked for them to practice. 

"I'm so sorry, everyone!"

"It's okay, Fluttershy," Sunset said, "We haven't even started yet. Tech problems." She gestured to Pinkie, who had somehow gotten tangled up in aux cords. Rainbow Dash was trying to untangle her.

Fluttershy caught her breath, taking her tambourine out of her backpack. Rarity approached her, picking a twig and two leaves out of her hair.

"Where exactly were you?"

"Oh, I was with Discord!"

Rarity's smug smile and raised eyebrow made Fluttershy roll her eyes. Rarity held up her hands to signal that she conceded, but her tone of voice said otherwise when she said, "So, Fluttershy, are you gonna ask anyone to the winter formal next weekend?"

"Actually, I was thinking of inviting Discord to join us all as a group! Is that okay with you guys?" she asked, looking around the room. Everyone looked at each other and nodded. Fluttershy smiled. "Great!"

Pinkie had finally been freed from her predicament, and they were ready to start practicing. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am so sorry its been so long!!!!! i had a huge event to plan and it ended about a week ago and since then ive been resting, ive been super exhausted lately but i just had my first ever energy drink (courtesy of my partner who is obsessed w them) and now i am filled w creative energy so here is another chapter!!!!!!!

Somehow, Fluttershy was able to hear a knock on the door over the sounds of Applejack and Rarity bickering over how much makeup Applejack should be wearing and the sounds of Sunset, Rainbow, and Twilight practicing for the Rainbooms' performance at the winter formal. She stood and opened the door, causing all heads to turn and all noise to cease, save for Rarity gasping.

Discord stood at the door wearing a black and white zig-zag patterned sleeveless dress, multicolored tye-dye baggy pants, and a brown leather jacket with tassels that went down to his waist. His neck was adorned with many necklaces, he had two mismatched earrings, mismatched socks topped by floral-print heels, and to top it all off, a crown made of an energy drink can. He waved. Rarity gagged.

"Hey, Discord!" Fluttershy greeted him, giving him a hug. Everyone else waved at him, put off by his clothing choices but none acting as dramatically as Rarity. She stumbled toward him, pushing Fluttershy out of the way and placing both her hands on his shoulders, staring at him dramatically.

"Dis- I- you-" She looked him up and down and took a deep breath. "PLEASE let me make you over!"

Discord grinned cheekily. "Nope!"

Rarity groaned and sulked away dramatically, Discord seeming to relish in her astonishment. 

"I like it!" said Fluttershy.

"Honestly, it is pretty cool," Rainbow piped up. Rarity looked at the two of them like they had sprouted extra heads. 

"Why, thank you," said Discord. Rarity turned back to him, her hands clasped pleadingly.

"At _least_ let me do your makeup! Please!" 

Discord shook his head. "No thanks."

"Can I do your makeup? I think it'd bring out your eyes," asked Fluttershy. Discord smiled at her.

"Sure!"

Rarity, again, sulked. Fluttershy shot her a smug grin.

As the rest of them got ready, Fluttershy put on Discord's makeup, nothing too extravagant since that wasn't her style, but enough to make his uniquely-colored eyes pop. Once she was finished, she held her hands lightly on Discord's cheeks to hold his face still as she made sure everything was even. He stuck his tongue out at her, causing her to giggle.

Once everyone was ready (and Rarity had calmed down), they all started the short walk from Rarity's house to their school. The sun was just beginning to set as they entered the auditorium, which was decorated with gray and blue decorations to match the winter theme. They were among the first ones there, but before long, the auditorium was packed with students dancing and grabbing food and punch from the snack table (a certain someone had already eaten around half of the cupcakes within the first five minutes).

The group of friends had found their place on the dance floor, moving along to the upbeat music coming from the DJ's table on the stage. Some of their dance moves were more pronounced and out there, while Fluttershy mostly kept to basic, small moves. She didn't consider herself a strong dancer, and even with her friends around her, she couldn't shake her anxiety around dancing. 

Eventually, the crowd began to form a circle around one person who was dancing more wildly and uniquely than everyone else. At first, most people seemed to be judging, but before long they began to cheer this person on. Fluttershy moved her way to the front of the crowd to see who was in the center, and was surprised (but not too surprised) to see Discord. Everyone around him clapped in time with the music and cheered him on, and of course, Fluttershy joined them, glad to see her friend dancing so happily and freely.

He spotted her in the crowd and gestured for her to join him in the middle. She smiled and shook her head, but he continued to gesture. She rolled her eyes good-naturedly and shook her head again, but before she knew it, he took her hand and pulled her into the circle. She was suddenly aware of everyone's eyes on her and froze, but Discord grabbed both of her hands and helped her move. She began to loosen up, focusing only on Discord and not the crowd surrounding them. He spun her a few times and bumped his hips into hers, making her laugh out loud. Before long, the crowd closed back in, everyone now dancing more freely, Fluttershy most of all. 

After a while, it was time for the Rainbooms' performance. Discord, having never seen them perform before, was thoroughly impressed within seconds of them starting. He was the first to start clapping along, the rest of the crowd joining him. Midway through the song, he and Fluttershy made eye contact. She winked at him.

While the band was getting some punch to rehydrate after their performance, the music suddenly slowed and people started pairing up on the dance floor. Discord went over to Fluttershy and extended his hand.

"Care to dance?"

"Sure!" Fluttershy said, abandoning her cup of punch on the table as Discord led her onto the dance floor. Once they found a spot, they stood still facing each other for a second until Discord spoke.

"I'm gonna be honest, I have no clue how to slow dance." 

Fluttershy laughed. "Here." She placed his hands on her shoulders and placed her own slightly above his waist, leading him into slowly swaying side to side. 

"You guys rocked, I'm upset I've never seen you perform before."

Fluttershy smiled. "Thanks! It was nice having you in the crowd. And thanks for pulling me into the circle earlier, I thought I'd hate it but it was actually pretty fun."

"You had some pretty nice moves."

"Only thanks to you."

After the slow song ended, the music once again picked up, the crowd resuming their wild dances. Once the dance was over, their whole group went to go get milkshakes. Fluttershy and Discord sat side-by-side in a booth sharing the table with Applejack and Rarity, chatting casually until the latter two decided to head home, leaving Fluttershy and Discord alone.

Taking the last sip of her shake, Fluttershy started to shiver. Having opted only for a knee-length simple baby blue dress, blue wedges, and a pink butterfly necklace, the coldness of the drink combined with the chill of the night air breezing through the cracked windows made her cold. Discord noticed and wordlessly draped his leather jacket around her. She smiled and put her head on his shoulder. They sat for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pls leave comments and kudos!!!!! i swear ill update more frequently lol

**Author's Note:**

> thanks so much for reading!!!!!


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